1. Field
The present inventions relate generally to dispensers for support straps and to holsters for such support strap dispensers.
2. Related Art
Support straps are commonly used to secure mechanical and electrical building components, such as plumbing pipes, conduit, heating and air conditioning ducts, and water heaters, to building support structures or to suspend these components from building support structures. In the exemplary context of hanger straps (sometimes referred to as “plumber's tape”), a flexible strip of material, such as sheet metal (e.g., a 24 or 28 gauge strip of copper-plated steel or galvanized steel) or polypropylene, is attached at one end to a support member such as a beam, post, or wall stud. The other end of the strip is wrapped around the pipe or conduit and attached in some manner to the first end, thereby forming a loop which supports the conduit. Support straps will often include regularly spaced holes along the length of the strap, and some support straps include fasteners to facilitate the connection of one portion of the strap to another after the formation of the loop.
Support straps are commonly distributed in roll form. The length of the support strap in the roll is such that many individual straps will be cut from the roll. The installer will unroll a portion of the strap and remove it from the remainder with a metal cutting tool. Exemplary roll lengths include, but are not limited to, 10 feet, 25 feet and 50 feet. The support strap rolls are commonly held with one hand and cut with a tool held in the other hand during the unrolling and cutting process. The support strap rolls are also commonly stored within tool boxes or the like during periods of non-use. The present inventor has determined that conventional usage and storage methodologies associated with support strap rolls are susceptible to improvement. For example, the resiliency of the rolled support strap can cause the support strap to move as the user is trying to cut it. The thin metal material that forms the support strap may also have sharp side edges that can injure the user. The support strap roll may also unwind or be otherwise disfigured, and/or the support strap may be bent, when stored in a tool box.
The present inventor has also determined that it would desirable for a user to be able to remove support strap from a support strap dispenser without having to hold the support strap dispenser with one of his/her hands.